Brighton and Hove have a housing crisis and its about to get exposed, last year I was the first campaigner locally to highlight the fact that 10,000 people locally were culled from the council housing waiting list, and just last weekend a senior council executive admitted the council are at a loose end with the cities Emergency and Temporary Accommodation.

4 inch thick plaster covering the whole room, it looks like a sight from a disaster movie.

I’ve recently been contacted by concerned residents living in temporary accommodation in the city, it turns out there are hundreds of vulnerable people currently in arrears due to the high cost to sub-contract out temporary accommodation to private companies.

One concerned mother has reported being told she would need to find an extra £175 per week toward her rent, not only was she forced to move out of the city, she is today in debt of over £1500.

Residents are at breaking point, not only with threat of eviction but they are also reporting being ‘overlooked’ for council housing due to the arrears. One mother described “being trapped” with high rents, often unaffordable.

This is a growing concern because under the Housing Act Part 7: Homelessness Councils have a duty to provide accommodation to families which are suitable for there needs, however if they are unaffordable they are certainly unsuitable.

Emergency and Temporary Accommodation: FACTS

Almost 900 families and individuals housed by Brighton and Hove City Council in bedsits, hostels, flats and BnBs had rent arrears totalling £1.4 million in March.

64% Rise in the number of Children in Brighton and Hove without a home. Now almost 2000 children are living in emergency and temporary accommodation, second only to London. (For Sussex it is 2700, a rise of 33%.)

There were 24,000 people on the council housing waiting list until Band D was removed, I believe 12k people have been removed, with no hope of a secure home for themselves.

For every 100 people who present as homeless to the council, just 35 or 35% are accepted with a priority need housing duty. The national average is 52%.

Join ETHRAG: Emergency and Temporary Housing Residents Action Group

Have you been affected by arrears?

If you have contact me below with details.

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If you enjoy my blog feel free to donate, I often fund things out of my own pocket.

£5 can part fund a residents meeting for those in emergency and temporary accommodation, vital for uniting people to stop conditions like these!

With a Labour Government all the people who have approached me with there heart breaking stories will be rewarded with a leader and Prime Minister who listened, we will finally start to build council housing again.

Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour have promised 500,000 brand new council homes, plus another 500,000 truly affordable homes, whilst suspending the Right To Buy until local authorities can ensure our council stock is not being sold off to landlords or for students. Labour will bring back the family home!